Starting this year, food makers in Great Britain will no longer be allowed to use artificial colors in their products. The ban was initiated because public health officials are concerned that artificial colorings may be linked to attention and behavioral problems in children.
A friend of mine who's British recently told me that she's often startled by how many food products in the U.S. contain artificial colors. In Great Britain, manufacturers have phased out food colorings such as red 40 or blue 1 from their products. That has led to a clear discrepancy in how food makers manufacture the same products for sale in Great Britain and the U.S. For example, Kellogg's Strawberry Nutrigrain bars sold in the U.S. contain red 40 while the same bars sold to consumers in Great Britain are colored with natural paprika extract.
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains that these dyes are safe, nutrition experts and consumer advocates such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) say there is compelling evidence that some kids may be more susceptible to artificial dyes. Many parents report that eliminating artificial colorings and preservatives can lead to significant improvement of ADHD symptoms and behavioral problems.
But I think the issue of how much food coloring is safe and whether or not it may cause attention and behavior problems in some kids is not the point. The real question is why Great Britain has better laws protecting kids against a possible problem, and why manufacturers can't simply eliminate artificial colors from products to protect U.S. kids as well (I'm assuming it's because using artificial dyes is less expensive than using natural colors).
I am astounded by the colour added to food here, my biggest pet peeve being the cheese. Cheese is not meant to be orange people!! Although I’ve lived in North America for 15 years plus, originally from NZ, I’m still not used to it. Having two kids now, who are school aged, I can’t believe the crap that is constantly shoved down their throats in advertising and promoted as “food”. I don’t even know what half the stuff is that I see at friend’s places or at the store, and I’m glad I don’t.
Kudos to Great Britain, that surprises me given their eating habits are the butt of many jokes. We do need to follow suit and one can start by shopping around the “outside” of the store for a start. Do it and you’ll get what I mean!
Just because it’s on the shelf doesn’t mean you need to buy it and feed it to your children. And if you do, please be accountable for the results.
Red and yellow coloring affect my son who has Aspergers. I myself am allergic to green food coloring.
There are no warning labels for food coloring and most people are not aware of its effects